On this page are various cheat sheets and helpers I have designed for use with The Master Genealogist® (TMG). As a compulsive list-maker, finding ways to record the myriad of options available for different functions not only helps me stay organized and remember my preferences, but also helps me learn the program. Since the genealogy community at large, and the TMG community in particular, have given so much to me over the years, it seems only fitting that I give back to them by providing these little nuggets for any and all who care to use them.
These are posted without copyright for a reason. I am making no special claim on them, and I hereby extend my unqualified permission to edit, add, enhance, modify, delete, fold, spindle, and mutilate as suits your needs. You may repost, mirror, or link to this page, and pass them out freely to anyone, modified or original, in any form (paper, electronic, telepathic ...), with or without credit. Spread the love. I truly do NOT mind one whit. However, I'm posting them as a free gift to the community for a reason -- I want them to be a gift. Please do not take these and attempt to profit from them. They're here to share, not to sell. (As if anyone would pay for them anyway.) Also, if you choose to mirror the files on your own server, I can't guarantee that I'll know or remember to tell you when they're updated. Not that I update them all that frequently.
TMG "Cheat Sheets"
Single-page list of commonly-used codes, variables, and shortcuts. These originated as cheat sheets for my own personal use. I placed far more emphasis on efficient page layout than I did on comprehensiveness, or even on intelligibility. Please feel free to modify them in any way you see fit for your own use.
TMG version 4.x -- MS Word PDF
TMG version 5.x -- MS Word PDF
TMG version 6.x -- MS Word PDF (updated 21 Mar 2005)
TMG version 7.x -- MS Word PDF (updated 30 December 2007)
This version has expanded to two pages, and includes information on sort date sorting order and a longer list of source elements. Thanks to Bill Bienia for several improvements.
TMG version 8.x -- MS Word PDF (updated 9 March 2014)
TMG version 9.x -- MS Word PDF (updated 9 March 2014)
Custom Report "Cheat Sheets" (v. 6.x and 7.x only for now, v8 and v9 updates pending as of 9 Mar 2014)
Two-page cheat sheets I've created to help me design reports without having to tab through all the options. These are preliminary formats, and may or may not change significantly over time. As with my cheat sheets, I placed a heavy emphasis on efficient layout, which means that there isn't necessarily much consistency between the different sheets, or between the order of the options when compared to TMG. I put these together because I find it easier to absorb the implications of various report options when I can see everything in one place, instead of on separate tabs. Here are some of the ways I've been using them:
- Customization backup: Record options in custom reports I've created, as a failsafe in case I lose the report definition.
- Constructing model reports: Making notes on the elements and structure of model reports I like, and the options that I might try in order to recreate them through TMG.
- Backwards project design: By reviewing report options I'm likely to use, it's easier to see where various custom tag types might be useful for controlling printing, or where using exclusion markers or sensitivity might have unexpected results.
2-up one page PDF versions provided courtesy of John Cordes. Thank you, John!
| Report(s) | 6.x files | 7.x files (only if different) |
| Ahnentafel and Descendant Indented Narrative | MS Word, updated 30 Dec 2007 PDF, updated 30 Dec 2007 1-page PDF |
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| Family Group Sheet | MS Word, updated 30 Dec 2007 PDF, updated 30 Dec 2007 1-page PDF |
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| Individual Detail | MS Word, updated 30 Dec 2007 PDF, updated 30 Dec 2007 1-page PDF |
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| Individual Narrative | MS Word, updated 30 Dec 2007 PDF, updated 30 Dec 2007 1-page PDF |
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| Journal | MS Word, updated 30 Dec 2007 PDF, updated 30 Dec 2007 1-page PDF |
MS Word, posted 30 Dec 2007 PDF, posted 30 Dec 2007 |
| Kinship | MS Word, updated 30 Dec 2007 PDF, updated 30 Dec 2007 1-page PDF |
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| Lists | MS Word, updated 30 Dec 2007 PDF, updated 30 Dec 2007 1-page PDF |
MS Word, posted 30 Dec 2007 PDF, posted 30 Dec 2007 |
I make no warranty as to the completeness or correctness of these materials, and accept no responsibility for any errors, omissions, or difficulties that may arise from their use, including, but not limited to, confusion, headaches, irritability, mood swings, erroneous lineage, data loss, hair loss, job loss, printer errors, manuscript rejection, and global warming.
Silly disclaimers aside, I do believe these offerings to be largely accurate. If you find an error, or something you believe to be a significant omission, feel free to drop me a line on the Rootsweb TMG-L list, or send me a private note. I'm not sensitive about these, really. You don't have to worry about bruising my ego. Well, at least, not where these cheat sheets are concerned. ;)
~DeAnna